Breast Cancer Five years on

[Skap]

Just had my 5th post treatment mammogram, results in 3 weeks. I don't dwell on breast cancer from one month to the next, I was ER- so no long term drugs but the five year thing is a bit of a milestone.
There were a lot of us on the cancer thread in 2019/2020 which was an enormous source of support.

Apparently if all is well I will be discharged completely from the survivorship programme. I had expected that to continue until 5 years after last treatment but I was told by the mammographer that it's five clear mammograms.

My cancer was less than a year from the previous routine mammogram. Small but very aggresive. They went back and checked the previous mammogram to ensure that it hadn't been missed and they were confidant it hadn't.

So now I go back to three yearly on the NHS. I've been wondering about private screening in between but was cautioned about excessive exposure to radiation.
How do others feel after that safety net is withdrawn?

I am just under 3 years post cancer diagnosis and think it's yearly mammos until Dec 26 though have only done one so far. The radiation risk does worry me but if you are going private you could ask for an ultrasound or MRI instead of worried or maybe discuss with them. It depends a bit on your odds. I think if you get a lump as well can go back and get scanned straightaway on NHS.

I've had my 5 mammograms and if I found a lump I would go through the normal process with GP.
I just wondered how others felt after the end of the five years when going to 3 yearly mammograms.

I have had 2 breast cancers, the second diagnosed on the first annual mammogram following the first diagnosis. My second cancer was a nasty triple negative BC which had spread to a lymph node. I pay for private annual mammograms, which are under £200, which I think is very good value. This year, I get a free one from the NHS. I shall always have an annual mammogram for the peace of mind.

Thats grim,@FallenMadonnawiththeBadBoobies Where do you get them ?
Do they have access to your history for comparison?

I get them from the Nuffield. Yes, they communicate very well indeed with the NHS. In fact, some of the staff work for both organisations.

Last year, unfortunately, I had a scare when the mammogram found something of concern. I was immediately referred back to the NHS for further tests. The lovely consultant who signed off the report from the Nuffield also dealt with me at the NHS appointment. I had a CT scan and ultrasound and they found nothing.

In my view, the potential for false positives is more worrying than the often cited danger of having too many mammograms. But for me, it is definitely worth having them. I am now 8 years clear from my last diagnosis, (which gave me a one on three chance of not making it to 5 years), and am no longer very worried that cancer will spring up somewhere other than a breast.

Best wishes to you going forward.

Thanks @FallenMadonnawiththeBadBoobies that's really helpful.
I don't know about false positives as it's not happened to me but I assume a biopsy would clarify and I think better than a missed cancer.

It was a false positive last year when they found something of concern. The scan and ultrasound showed that it wasn't cancer.